This article will tell you about the football clubs that shocked everyone in 2023 with their sudden transformation.
In 2023, the football world witnessed unprecedented surprises as several clubs defied expectations and shocked fans and pundits alike.
From Newcastle United’s absolute comeback in the Premier League to AC Milan reaching the UCL semi-finals, the 2022-23 season held many surprises for us. Fortunately, the new season (2023-24) began on a higher tone.
So keep reading to find out which clubs have shocked us in 2023 and will continue to do so for the rest of the two weeks left for 2023 to end. If you want to watch the games of these clubs, be sure to look at the calendar of the first division of football.
Bayer Leverkusen
Xabi Alonso was a football legend. And, as the cliché goes, if you were a good player, you have a strong chance of failing as a manager.
Xabi Alonso, like Pep Guardiola, seemed to be destined to be exceptional in practically every element of his career. And the evidence is his rousing start to Leverkusen’s season.
The team has played 11 league games and has only drawn one game against the famous Bayern Munich. Aside from gaining points, the club is playing really attractive football on all fronts, with Grimaldo, Wirtz, and Frimpong playing key roles.
I’m not sure how far they’ll go in the league, given that they have to travel to Europe on occasion. But it’s been a difficult trip for them, and I’m here to help.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa was languishing in 14th place in the Premier League when Unai Emery came into charge after leaving Villareal. And it had an instant effect. The Spanish mastermind led the team from obscurity to eighth place in the previous season.
And they are already in fifth place this season. What has shocked me the most is how convincing the entire team has been in the Premier League so far.
Everyone in the fray appears to be confident and has a say on the pitch.
New additions such as Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres have performed admirably, while Watkins has developed an eye for goal. Douglas Luiz has also played an important part in the park’s middle. The team appears to be in sync and poised to do big things.
Girona
The lesser-known Catalan team has grabbed news several times this year due to their performance in La Liga. The club, who ended 10th in the previous season, has held the top spot in this one nearly since the start.
Surprisingly, they have only lost one game out of thirteen games played. Real Madrid was the only team this season who could beat them 3-0. They even defeated Barcelona 2-4 in their first Catalan derby of the season.
They still have games against Valencia, Athletic Club, and Atletico de Madrid to come. And, as things stand, getting even five points out of the possible 9 will be challenging.
Furthermore, as the season progresses, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico de Madrid may begin to put greater pressure on them. As a result, an inexperienced club like Girona may struggle to weather the storm well.
In any event, they’ve had a great run-up to this point. However, their ultimate answer to the season will be determined exclusively by how they perform against the aforementioned opponents.
Olympique Lyon
As of now, we’ve been hearing about big surprises all over, with Bayer Leverkusen and Girona topping the list. But let’s talk about a team that has had a surprise.
The French Giants, Olympique Lyon, are currently 18th in Ligue 1. And they’re only 5 points out of the safe zone. Given last year’s results, I believe we expected it to come shortly. Lyon, on the other hand, has astonished everyone with their performance.
But it’s not like they don’t have any good players.
Alexandre Lacazette was a revelation last season, scoring 26 goals. And, to be honest, he looked good this time around as well. However, the players around him have not been particularly good. The team’s coach does not appear to be adaptable either.
Their chances of winning a trophy are small. Instead, Reims and Nice have been outstanding this season. So keep your eyes peeled for them.
Santos FC
On Thursday, December 7, Santos FC, the home of iconic footballer Pele, was relegated from Brazil’s top league. Santos’ terrible season ended with a home defeat to Fortaleza, resulting in relegation from Brasileiro Serie A for the first time in the club’s 111-year history.
With eight Serie A titles, one of Brazil’s most successful clubs finished the season in 17th place in the points standings. Their 17th loss of the season came in a 1-2 loss against Fortaleza. They finished one point behind 16th-placed Bahia, who avoided relegation with 44 points.
Santos, together with Sao Paolo and Flamengo, were one of three clubs to never be demoted from the top flight.
Santos won their first six Serie A championships with Pele and their most recent two in 2002 and 2004. Pele, who died in December 2022 due to cancer, was draped with the Santos FC flag.
